


Breakaway

by Hezaia



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Gen, Humor, Snark, Spoilers, Swearing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-13
Updated: 2020-12-13
Packaged: 2021-03-10 23:21:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,601
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28055304
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hezaia/pseuds/Hezaia
Summary: Having spent millennia sealed away with only a mad god as company, Bakura is naturally out for vengeance. But, as he had learned from Zorc, they needed to collect all seven Millennium Items. Ergo, there was really no point in attacking the spirit of the now Nameless Pharaoh now; not beyond achieving some short-lived satisfaction at any rate, since the Pharaoh had lost all his memories.In other words, Bakura would not only have to collect all seven items but also help that prat regain his memories, all for the sake of them continuing the aborted high-stakes game they had started back when they were both still alive. "Well, fuck."
Relationships: Bakura Ryou & Yami Bakura
Comments: 2
Kudos: 10





	1. Bakura Gets Proactive (And This is a Very Bad Idea)

**Author's Note:**

> Originally planned to be a one-shot. Got a bit out of hand.
> 
> Feel free to suggest additional tags ^^
> 
> (Crossposted from ffnet)

* * *

Everyone and everything have their breaking point. Push hard enough and find out, but do so at your own peril, because cornered beasts are the most dangerous sort.

Bakura has reached his breaking point and succumbed to it too, mostly. As things turns out however, watching all those he had ever known getting sacrificed had not been enough to completely rob him of his sanity. Granted, it _had_ left a sizeable crack, and the events that had followed had widened it. Spending a few millennia sealed inside of the Ring ought to have done the trick, given that he had been forced to endure his stay mostly fused with Zorc Necrophadis.

Considering all that, the Thief King had emerged from the ordeal surprisingly sane, if more than just a tad unstable. Granted, this was only comparatively speaking. By the standards of most people, he was sociopathic at best, and bat shit crazy at worst. Not that it mattered or anything.

Despite the millennia of Zorc's warping influence and the near complete fusion of their souls, Bakura had managed to cling to his own memories, refusing to discard those last few shreds of his identity. Bakura retaining his memories had mattered little to Zorc after all, so long as their interest aligned in terms of dealing with the Pharaoh and his cohorts.

And their interests _did_ align, yes, but only as far as the issue of the Pharaoh was concerned. As for the fate of world and all that, Bakura had not really given it a thought.

At first, Bakura had been almost entirely consumed by his desire for revenge: for Kul Elna and for the millennia spent sealed away with only a mad god as company. Then, after emerging from the tedious torture of his combined exile and house arrest, the Thief King had gradually begun paying more and more attention to things other than his burning desire for vengeance. Granted, he still longed for the latter and possessed no intention of giving up on it, but there were a few things in the mortal world that had warranted his prolonged interest. His landlord, the aptly named Bakura Ryō, happened to be one of them.

Over the years, the Thief King had rejected multiple other applicants; they had been weak and thereby unsuited to become a vessel for his soul. As far as Bakura himself could recall, one of the stronger fools had sought to pawn the Ring off to some pale-faced foreigner, as though it had been a mere trinket. Bakura had been greatly intrigued though; not so much by the man himself but by the possibility of seeing new lands. Granted, the name of the man had surprised him, but it had been a lesser surprise compared to the surge he had felt when a child's fingertips had first brushed against the Ring.

There had been power there; Bakura had known that much from the very start, and he had been quick to learn that the boy, Ryō, knew next to nothing of his own potential. Well, Bakura had not seen much of a reason to change that; he had only needed a decent vessel after all, not a servant.

Of course, in the end, Bakura _had_ needed more than just a vessel; he had also needed information, primarily on the current whereabouts of the rest of the Millennium Items. Even though he had survived his enforced house arrest with most, if not all, of his memories intact, positively ancient intelligence could only get one so far after all. Ultimately, Bakura had not needed to worry all that much as far as that went though. Even so, it seldom hurt to be prepared.

For one thing, Bakura had discovered the existence of Duel Monsters and noted the uncanny resemblance between certain Duel Monsters and the Ka spirits wielded by certain priests. Ergo, there had to be someone else out there with at least some knowledge, and quite possibly also with a Millennium Item in their possession.

And so, Bakura had researched, or nudged his host to look into the matter. Ryō had already held an interest in games, so it had not been all that difficult to steer him towards Duel Monsters. Granted, Bakura had still been forced to suffer through quite a bit of Monster World, Ryō's favourite RPG. That alone would have been relatively tolerable, had it not been for the annoying fools his host insisted on making friends with; Bakura had neither use nor desire for friends, and the people Ryō associated with were either weak-minded fools or people ultimately looking to torment or exploit him.

Bakura had observed for a while, fully intent on not getting involved. Mere weeks into it however, he had already been at his wit's end. As it turned out, he could steal people's souls. Bakura had deemed it a useful skill, even if he did not get to practice it very often after what little still remained of Ryō's former social circle had come to avoid him like the plague.

Bakura might have felt something then; the slightest twinge of guilt perhaps. It was gone quickly though, replaced by some degree of satisfaction as Ryō moved away from Monster World and most of his past and firmly into Duel Monsters territory. His host still wrote letters though, all of them addressed to the younger sister who had died alongside his mother. It was a pointless waste of time, but Bakura let him have it. It was perfectly harmless after all.

Over the years, Ryō had transferred schools multiple times; some of them due to his father's work and some of them due to Bakura's. Bakura had been less thrilled about the move to Domino City, initially. Then, after Ryō had transferred into the class of one Mutō Yūgi, Bakura had been morbidly delighted.

The Millennium Puzzle, neatly assembled and hanging from the neck of one oblivious classmate.

Jackpot.

Granted, Bakura did have to use quite a bit of self-control not to do anything stupid right then and there. After all, as he had learned from Zorc, they needed to collect all seven Millennium Items. Ergo, there was really no point in attacking the spirit of the now Nameless Pharaoh now; not beyond achieving some short-lived satisfaction at any rate, since the Pharaoh had lost all his memories too. And there was really no point in extracting bloody vengeance from someone _that_ oblivious.

In other words, Bakura would not only have to collect all seven items but also help that _prat_ regain his memories, all for the sake of them continuing the aborted high-stakes game they had started back when they were both still alive. "Well, fuck."

To say that Bakura had been unhappy would have been a severe understatement. Still‒ "You mean to say that Pegasus J. Crawford stole your grandpa's soul, Yūgi?" ‒no clouds are without silver lining, right?

* * *

In hindsight, getting involved had been a big mistake. It had been a _big_ mistake. All of it. Mostly. Bakura really should have let the fools deal with the mess without sticking his own neck into it. He really should have thrown out the invitation that soon arrived for Ryō, but oh no, he had been entirely too giddy about finally seeing some action. Naturally, he had also been somewhat giddy about getting his paws on the Millennium Eye, which was apparently in this Pegasus guy's possession. Of course, the latter had not exactly come as a surprise to Bakura. Given that Pegasus had created Duel Monsters, it only made sense for Bakura to assume that there had to be at least one Millennium Item in the man's general vicinity, and voila, there it was, the Millennium Eye.

Yūgi and the gang had seemed pretty anxious about the whole thing, mind-reading and soul-stealing and all. Ryō in turn had been understandably cautious when he too had received a package from Industrial Illusions in the mail. He did not need to worry though, and Bakura had actually told him so.

_"Who's there?!"_

Though evidently startled, Ryō takes it all surprisingly well. Furthermore, he easily gives in to a few of Bakura's demands in exchange for a promise to return the souls Bakura has stolen in the past. And Bakura easily agrees, because the latter are largely irrelevant. Now there is an even bigger prize in his sights, and he will participate in that farce of a tournament in order to attain it. He does not need to win the tournament either; he merely needs to get close enough.

* * *


	2. Bakura is So Done (So, So Done)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ryō to Bakura: “You should go see a therapist.”

* * *

_“I don’t need to win. I just need to get close enough.”_

Famous last words. Famous last words uttered internally before things had begun tumbling downhill.

“Oh, for fuck’s sake,” he hisses, because that is most definitely the Pharaoh’s vessel jumping overboard. “I was gone for five minutes!”

Nevertheless, Bakura quickly makes his way over to the railing, joining up with the remnants of the friendship gang. And yes, that is most certainly Yūgi in the water. And Jonōchi. Why in Zorc’s name would they−?

A deranged giggle draws his attention, and Bakura immediately zeroes in on its origin: a green-haired, mostly green-clad boy that reminds Bakura an awful lot of− Yes, now he remembers: Bug Boy.

It does not take a genius to figure out that Bug Boy must have something to do with this whole situation, and Bakura is far too annoyed to keep up appearances; he simply grabs him by the collar. The incessant giggling cuts off and Bug Boy looks at him, surprised at first, then smug. It is a very ‘as if you would dare to do anything. You can’t touch me’ kind of look. Oh well−

_“No, no, no, no, what are you−? Let go of me! Who do you think I am?!”_

An annoyance. Well that, and trash about to be thrown overboard.

* * *

“You didn’t need to do that, you know? But−”

“−But that was _awesome_ , man! I didn’t realise you had it in you!”

Bakura smiles, but the smile feels very awkward on his face. In an effort not to cause unnecessary suspicion, he makes an effort not to grin like a madman in public and to imitate Ryō’s demeanour to the best of his ability. “Thanks, Jonōchi! I’m a bit surprised at myself actually…”

Out of the corner of his eye, he sees Insector Haga slinking away, still dripping and likely plotting his revenge. Bakura is rather excited at the prospect though because things would probably be rather dull otherwise. You know, hanging with the friendship gang and all.

Besides, Bug Boy is bound to earn enough star chips to qualify for the finals, and if he would come after Bakura after that, well− the winner takes it all. And after that, well−

“Hey, man! You’ll be sticking with us, right?”

Yes, though hardly by choice. Because really, if Bakura had had a choice in the matter, then he would have split from the group, broken into the castle at top of the hill and put an early end to this farce of a tournament. But alas, Bakura has become increasingly certain that the Pharaoh or his vessel (or both) would fall into another body of water (or alternatively off the face of a cliff) the very minute Bakura turns his back to them.

Bakura is not entirely certain as to when he had gone from evil mastermind to the Pharaoh’s minder, and the mere thought makes him want to stab someone. But stabbing someone is a big no-no, at least for now, because who knows how long it would be until another suitable vessel came along. But oh, was it _tempting_!

“Hey, man? Are you okay? Coming down with something?”

Bakura rather doubts it, but it is entirely possible. Idiocy was alleged to be a lot like the common cold after all, and considering present company, Bakura would have to take proper precautions from now on.

* * *

The Duellist Kingdom Tournament is a joke as far as following the rules is concerned, but when had Bakura ever given a shit about rules?

No, the dirtier the tricks, the better. Insector Haga had certainly tried; keyword: _tried_.

So yeah, Bakura is enjoying himself a whole lot more than expected. That said of course, there is also the expected downside of things… which is Ryō, kicking up a fuss whenever he senses that Bakura is about to practice his soul-snatching skills.

If not for Ryō’s incessant nagging (which is giving Bakura a serious migraine), more duellists would have ended up as soulless husks after crossing his path. It really makes Bakura regret alerting his landlord to the fact that he is not quite alone in his body.

Still, annoying or not, the chatter is a definite improvement to the alternatives: the whispers of Zorc, the silence that makes Bakura want to tear his own throat out and the memories that make him want to do the same.

“You should go see a therapist,” Ryō had suggested at one point, full of earnest goodwill.

Bakura might have snapped at him then, just a bit, because while his landlord might actually have a bit of a point in how Bakura should probably talk to someone at some point, Bakura is not about to explain to some therapist how he is in fact a the spirit of a graverobber from Ancient Egypt on a quest for vengeance while getting fucked over by a vengeful God. Bakura certainly believes that people have been thrown into padded rooms for stories that sounded far more realistic than that. Granted, if any of them actually tried that with him, then Bakura would obviously−

“Hey man, hurry up! We’ll leave you behind at this rate!”

−Never mind.

* * *

Bakura had seriously underestimated his urge to kill people.

Maybe it is the present company, maybe it is the present situation. Likely both.

“You’re seriously out of it sometimes, Ryō. Are you sure you’re okay?”

Well, _Ryō_ can be a bit of an airhead at times, but Bakura? _He_ is just distracting himself from resurfacing homicidal and soul-stealing urges. “I’m _fine_. Just tired.”

And he _is_ tired; that much is true. Being up and about and in control for extended periods of time is exhausting. It is exhausting for him, because he has to keep himself from tearing out souls and throats. It is also taking a toll on his landlord’s body because possession wears people down, especially over time.

Considering that, the Prat’s vessel is looking surprisingly chipper. Then again, the Prat practically only ever surfaces whenever there is a duel about to go down, as opposed to Bakura, who has to manage things in the meantime.

Wait. _Has to?_ Bakura does not have to do anything.

* * *

Bakura does not have to deal with this. Thus, the responsibility goes to Ryō. Ryō is good at comforting people. That said− _“This wouldn’t even be a problem if they’d just let the guy jump.”_

Ryō shoots him the internal version of a disapproving glare, but Bakura is right. Kaiba threatening to kill himself if Yūgi (well, technically, the Prat) did not throw the duel was _his_ problem, not theirs. Unfortunately, Yūgi is just as much of a goody-two-shoes as Ryō. Thus, the current situation is as follows:

Yūgi is depressed, having lost his right to enter the finals and by default, his chance to save his grandpa’s soul from Pegasus.

The Prat is not around; probably sulking.

The Friendship Gang is divided in-between worrying over Yūgi and cussing about Kaiba.

And Bakura, well, Bakura is leaving it up to Ryō. Well, to Ryō and those star chips he does not really need, given his ability to break in without them.

“But Ryō, these are _yours_. I can’t−”

Ryō smiles, so earnestly and without ulterior motives. “You came all this way to save your grandfather, and I only really came along to help out my friend. So, just let me help out, okay?”

Of course, that blonde woman, Mai or whatever her name is, also turns up to offer star chips, intent upon repaying some earlier debt. She does not need to do that, but Bakura can most certainly appreciate how she flirts with the gatekeeper, distracting the guy long enough for the rest of them to sneak inside. Granted, Bakura would have gotten inside one way or the other, but the larger the group, the lesser the risk that Pegasus will see him coming. Not that Bakura is scared of him or anything; he merely prefers not to announce his presence beforehand, because a mind reader like Pegasus could potentially wreck Bakura’s plans way ahead of time.

* * *

The rest of the Duellist Kingdom Tournament goes about as expected.

Mai comes in third, choosing to surrender to help out Yūgi after he manages to destroy her ace Monster.

Jonōchi comes in second, having beaten Bandit Keith, who got disqualified for attempting to take Pegasus hostage. (Rash, very rash, but points for effort.)

Finally, Yūgi and the Prat end up beating Pegasus by switching minds or something.

All is well, and Pegasus has retreated to his tower to mope or plot or something, leaving himself vulnerable to an ambush.

Because while Bakura realises that he only really needs to bide his time and wait while the Millennium Items and their current wielders gather around the Nameless Pharaoh, Bakura is not quite satisfied with it. And, since waiting is boring as fuck, the least boring alternative is to eliminate a few obstacles in the meantime.

_“Don’t kill him. Please.”_

Ryō’s voice is quiet but stern. Bakura does not need to listen or care, really. “He is a threat. He tried to kill you _and_ your friends, landlord.”

_“That doesn’t make it right,”_ Ryō argues.

Truth to be told, Bakura could barely care any less about what is right and what is not. On the other hand, the Thief King would prefer to stay on Ryō’s good side for now, if for nothing else then for the sake of future operations. He really cannot have the Pharaoh’s lot catching on to him this early on in the game after all. “The Millennium Eye; I won’t settle for less.”

One down. Four more to go.

* * *


	3. Bakura Regrets Everything (Every Single Thing)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bakura to himself, for the umpteenth time: “Oh, for fuck’s sake.”

* * *

_The building is on fire, and for once, Bakura is not even partially responsible. “Oh, for fuck’s sake.”_

_Had he been responsible, then he would have stood there, basking in the heat and glow of the roaring flames._

_Had said flames been consuming his enemies or something precious to them, then he would have laughed; he would have laughed, cackling like a madman in complete disregard of any onlookers. He would certainly not have cursed, and he would certainly not have rushed right into the inferno, because that is what idiots did and Bakura is not an idiot._

_That is how it was supposed to be, at any rate._

_However, it unfortunately seems as though idiocy really **is** contagious. _

_In hindsight, subjecting himself to prolonged exposure had not been such a bright idea. It had been exceptionally stupid as a matter of fact._

_“Why must I keep bothering with these fucking morons?”_

_That is a rather excellent question actually._

* * *

Bakura is rather annoyed to learn that some Shadi guy holds two of the Millennium Items, the Millennium Ankh and the Millennium Scale.

This is annoying because 1) Bakura has no idea where to find him and because 2) Bakura is fairly certain that he has already killed the guy once. And for all that he himself is a disembodied spirit, Bakura is clueless as to how he ought to deal with the issue at hand.

For one thing, Shadi probably knows the truth about Bakura and can as such reveal it to the Pharaoh, which would obviously ruin things. However, the guy apparently speaks in riddles, so the Pharaoh and his friends are no closer to figuring out Bakura’s identity.

In hindsight, it also appears that Shadi and his easily misinterpreted vagueness can be of some use.

After the end of the Duellist Kingdom, that Kaiba guy sets up his own tournament in Domino City. He is now in possession of a God card, _the Giant God Soldier of Obelisk_.

Soon, the Pharaoh turns up with another, _the Celestial Dragon of Osiris_.

Before long, the duellist possessing last of the big three turns up. Bakura manages to track the guy down using his Millennium Ring, seeing as to how the guy holds not just _the Winged God Dragon of Ra_ but also the Millennium Rod.

Marik Ishtar is a revenge-obsessed idiot, but a potentially useful one at that, given that he has an army of brainwashed cult members at his beck and call. He also has a burning hatred of the Pharaoh, courtesy of him misinterpreting Shadi’s ill-timed message of the Pharaoh’s imminent return. Really, Bakura has to refrain from laughing out loud.

Unfortunately, Marik Ishtar is all for killing the Pharaoh, and Bakura cannot quite have that, because the Pharaoh must live long enough to participate in the final game. After that though, Bakura has every intention of killing the guy himself. As such, Bakura is forced to sabotage Marik’s plan, if only to a miniscule amount.

He and Ryō make it to the finals, alongside the Pharaoh, Marik, Kaiba and a few others. Among them is Marik’s sister, Ishizu Ishtar, who holds the Millennium Tauk. Fortunately, she is defeated and turns her item over to the Pharaoh, which is great, because she is not nearly as blind as her brother. Heck, even when Shadi turns up again to warn the Pharaoh of the thief, they believe that Shadi is talking about Marik rather than him. Again, Bakura has to refrain from cackling, because it is simply priceless. Cackling would hardly have been appropriate after all, given that he has just awoken from a “coma” after taking a direct hit from an Egyptian God.

But of course, his streak of luck can only last for so long.

Once Marik is defeated and regains some sanity and clarity, he is not late to confront Bakura on the issue.

Unfortunately, he is also smart enough to do it in the presence of a quite sizeable audience.

Bakura cackles. Then he retrieves the Millennium Eye from his pocket and holds it up for all to see. “It’s about time,” he cackles, because the looks on their faces are simply gold and he had been about to crack a rib in his efforts to hold back the laughter.

Then he leaves Ryō to deal with the mess, which is not very nice of him. Then again, Bakura and nice do not get along in the present and have never really gotten along in the past, unlike Ryō, who is proving to be far too nice for his own good.

* * *

Roughly a week after the Battle City Finals finds Bakura on a rooftop, enjoying his solitude up until the point when it is rudely interrupted.

“Bakura.”

The Prat. “Yūgi? Is something the matter?”

“Thief King, I know it’s you; drop the act.”

Bakura does not like taking orders from the Pharaoh. He drops the act, yes, albeit not in compliance with any orders but simply because keeping it up is taking entirely too much effort. “Yes, it’s me. What about it?”

The Pharaoh regards him, but there is another emotion in addition to the obvious disdain. “Why?”

Bakura’s attention flickers to him briefly and then back towards the skyline. His fingers reach out to grasp the net fence that surrounds the school roof, presumably to discourage any impulsive students from leaping off when they fail to deal with their pathetic lives. Fence or no fence however, it would still have been so easy for Bakura to push that troublesome Pharaoh off the roof, and the mere thought of it has Bakura’s fingers tightening their grip.

“Why _what_ , Pharaoh?” the Thief King asks at last. “It’s lunch break. In the current day and age, even the worst of convicted criminals are entitled to an hour’s worth of fresh air and exercise, you know? Not quite like the olden days, don’t you agree?”

Back in the olden days, there had been execution and if not, then at least mutilation. Granted, this practice still exists in certain places, but never mind. Besides, as far as the death penalty is concerned, Bakura is still largely on the fence as to whether or not it would be worth it. The Pharaoh of the olden days would have (and _had_ ) ordered the Thief King’s execution without batting an eyelid. The one of the current age flinches; the flinch is miniscule, yes, but there is little denying it.

“Bakura. You obviously have some kind of reason to hate me, but‒”

Bah. “I _only_ had ninety-nine reasons to hate you back then. Currently, I have over a hundred.”

“Ninety-nine reasons?”

Bakura chuckles at the sheer obliviousness of his foe, letting go of the fence in favour of turning around. Then he slouches against it, regarding the visibly perturbed Pharaoh with a mixture of mirth and disdain. “Those things,” he snarls, pointing at the Puzzle. “Seven magical items at the cost of ninety-nine souls; the massacre of Kul Elna, _my_ _hometown_ , as ordered by your daddy dearest.”

“That’s‒!”

“‒Impossible?” Bakura smirks, finding immense joy in his foe’s utterly horrified and disbelieving expression. “Well, believe whatever you like, I suppose; it’s all the same to me. But let me tell you this: I didn’t just see them slaughtering my family; I watched them melt the blood, flesh and bone out of each and every villager into the gold that went into making those things.”

The Pharaoh opens his mouth, closes it, repeats the action. “I cannot speak for the actions of my father, but‒”

_“Don’t pity me,”_ Bakura snaps in return, because being pitied by the Pharaoh is a new low. “I don’t care _why_ he did it. Heck, that bastard went and died before I got my vengeance. But, back then as well as now, this hatred isn’t going anywhere; you’re simply the next in line.”

“Then why?” the Pharaoh demands. “You could’ve easily killed us, but instead you’ve been helping us. And back then, you could just as easily have left us to die, so why‒?”

It is laughable, really. “Don’t delude yourself into believing that I actually did any of it for _your_ sake; I spared Pegasus for Ryō’s sake, but that’s about it. As for the rest, it was all for me; gathering the Millennium Items, you regaining more of your memories…”

“Why?” the Pharaoh persists. “If you were truly my enemy, then why do you wish for the same thing as‒”

Hilarious. “ _If_ I were truly your enemy, you say? _Hilarious_. Of course, as much as I absolutely _loathe_ having to admit it, I actually find you vaguely tolerable these days, which − let’s be honest − is a lot more than I can say about Zorc. Our interests no longer fully align, you see, and if he wasn’t all tangled up in my soul, then I would’ve ditched him way before this.”

_“Bakura.”_ The Pharaoh has the gall to extend a hand; Bakura feels immensely tempted to cut it off.

Still, Bakura remains where he is, leaning against the fence, his fingers clutching it. “You and I have unfinished business, _Pharaoh_. Let’s not forget that it was your idiotic self-sacrifice that got us both sealed away, you without your memories and me with the worst roommate in history. Of course, I imagine that hating you for what your father did isn’t very fair, but‒ it’s just the tip of the iceberg really. But yeah, I _fucking_ hate you, and the only reason why I haven’t killed you yet is because _I_ need you alive, for now.”

“Just for now?” the Pharaoh repeats, withdrawing the hand at last.

“Well, _of course_. I _did_ mention that we had unfinished business, didn’t I?”

“You did,” the Pharaoh relents. “Though I myself still have not been made privy to the details.”

The latter is a clear stab at Bakura for withholding information, and he smiles viciously, because whoever said Bakura had a duty to share information with the enemy in the first place? “Tell you what, Pharaoh: You lot were awfully fond of playing games in the past, even to the extent that your priests tore out people’s _Ka_ just to have more Monster Spirits to play with. While I’m not gonna say that I don’t understand the appeal of a powerful weapon, I never quite developed a taste for those mock battles of yours. Well, up until now, I suppose.”

“You want a Duel?”

Bakura smiles, because a mere duel would be pointless. “I want an RPG, with all the perks of a true Shadow Game.”

“RPG?”

“Of course,” Bakura says, very deliberate. “A bit of role-play to jog your memory and whatnot.”

The Pharaoh considers him, evidently sceptical. “Why?”

Why indeed? “Because there’s absolutely no point in killing you right now. You’re not only _clueless_ ; you’re not even _alive_ anymore, technically. Besides, it was _you_ sealing away your memories that got us all tangled up in this _mess_ , meaning that only _your_ memories can release us.”

If anything, then the Pharaoh looks even more sceptical. “Is there really that much power in memory?”

Bakura scoffs at that. “It’s not _memories_ that carry power; it’s _names_. How did you think you ended up with the moniker _the Nameless Pharaoh_ in the first place?”

The Pharaoh blinks. “I sealed away my name?” he says, evidently confused.

“You sealed away your _true_ name; there’s a clear difference,” Bakura snaps in return, pointing. “Using your true name, you sealed away both yourself and Zorc in there. I only ended up with part of Zorc. I admit, I wasn’t exactly sane before, but spending a couple of millennia under his influence didn’t exactly help.”

The Pharaoh regards him almost curiously now, as if he is yet another puzzle for him to solve. Ugh. “Going by what you’ve been saying, it sounds an awful lot like you don’t want Zorc to win.”

Bakura shrugs mildly at that, stepping past him, resisting the urge to shove him or worse. “Whether it’s you or Zorc, it’ll still be my loss. If I had known beforehand that getting proactive was just gonna make me out as one of the good guys, then I wouldn’t have bothered.”

“I rather doubt that.”

Bakura turns, mildly surprised, to find himself locking eyes with the Pharaoh’s host, who is looking at him wearing this soft and utterly nauseating look in his eyes.

“Even if you only needed me alive, you came back for both of us then, in that fire. Without you, Jonōchi and I would’ve both‒”

Bakura had definitely had ulterior motives for that, but heck if anyone cares. At first, he was trying to convince people he was their friend. Now, he is struggling to make them realise he is not. Regardless‒ “If you fools actually think of me as a friend by the end of all this, then what the heck, knock yourself out. It’s your funeral.”

Mutō Yūgi smiles softly at that; most would have found it warming, but Bakura finds it positively chill-inducing.

* * *


	4. Bakura Regrets Everything (And Also Nothing)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bakura to Ryō: “You should go see a therapist.”

* * *

Everyone and everything had a breaking point, and Bakura had evidently already succumbed to his.

Because when it all comes down to it – when a prime opportunity to get his vengeance on the pharaoh once and for all presents itself – Bakura doesn’t. No, no, he does the opposite; he actually _helps_ the Prick with defeating Zorc Necrophadis.

It is a bitter victory, and it sits in his mouth like a rotten lemon. But a rotten victory is a victory nonetheless, and the taste of it is imaginary. Also, Bakura’s tastebuds are rather temporary, much like the body he currently inhabits; the power of the Millennium Items had temporarily granted the no longer nameless pharaoh a temporary physical form, and for some reason, Bakura as well. An accident no doubt, because unlike that Prat, Bakura has no intention of duelling his former host. No, no, he simply intends to sit back and relax while watching the Prat do some of the actual work for once.

Because he obviously has to do that; the Pharaoh and his former vessel duel, and once that has been concluded, then the road to the afterlife would lie wide open. Well, save for the occasional obstacle, that is.

“I don’t want you to leave,” Ryō mumbles, because of course he had come along all the way to this damned crypt instead of doing the sane thing; staying behind at the hotel.

“And I don’t want to stick around,” Bakura responds evenly, watching the ongoing duel with idle interest. “One of us is going to hate the outcome, whatever it is.”

The outcome better not be a loss for Yūgi though, because in such case, maybe the gates to the blessed afterlife won’t open, and in such case, then Bakura might actually have to force them open. Because he is not sticking around, period. Besides−

“You do realise that I’ve just been using you all along, right? I’ve been hijacking your body at my own convenience and stealing people’s souls at my own leisure. I’ve even killed people. And−”

“I dunno, man,” mutters one of the other fools in the audience. “You’ve saved our arses more than once, so−”

Really? Ugh. “Again, I’ve been _using_ you all. The stuff I did? Some of it was to earn your trust and the rest – actually, most of it? That was all for me and for my own convenience. Because you know, I’ve been living as a disembodied spirit for thousands of years now, and I’d very much like to fuck off to the afterlife.”

Very much. Right now. Also− “You should take your own advice and go see a therapist, landlord. There might even be one that takes on cases dealing with possession, who knows?”

All things considered, there should be. Because, like, if they have stuff like pet psychologists, then they definitely also have psychologists specialised in more spiritual matters. And if not, then maybe a priest could deal with−

_“What?! Impossible!”_

Oh. The Pharaoh’s former vessel is going on the offensive now, defeating Egyptian God after Egyptian God, cleverly using the Pharaoh’s Monster Effects to his own advantage. With the trap card _Magnet Force_ already activated on the field, the guy had only needed to perform one special summon in order to trigger Osiris’ effect, and then, well… watching the God’s attack bounce right back and obliterate Obelisk? Brilliant.

And then, using his own Monster’s special effect, Yūgi had split his fused Monster back into its components, triggering Osiris’ special effect once more, wiping out both Osiris and Ra.

Ah, Bakura has rarely seen something so beautiful. Pity that it would not last though; unlike the rest, he is not quite so optimistic as to believe that this would be the end of it.

In any case− “Ryō.”

His former landlord blinks, surprised at being addressed, and equally surprised at being addressed by his actual name. “Yes?”

Bakura leans in. “Fork over the snacks. I know you brought some.”

* * *

And the duel goes on, back and forth, with monologues and commentary from the friendship gang and other interested observers. Kaiba is being an annoying prick, but that is nothing unusual. Also, the commentaries of certain members of the friendship gang make Bakura so nauseous that he comes close to puking up the salted almonds he had just eaten.

He does not really need to eat though; the body he currently inhabits is a temporary one created by magic, and it will likely vanish soon. But Bakura really cannot bring himself to care; he has salted almonds to eat and for once, things are getting done without him having to do anything at all.

He would rather that they hurry up a bit though.

* * *

When the duel ends, Bakura is delighted. He is also delighted in how it ends, because the Pharaoh’s former vessel had really managed to pull one over the Prat. Sealing away that one card and stealing away victory from the jaws of defeat? Freaking priceless!

Monster Reborn. Resurrection of the Dead.

But there will be no resurrection of the dead today, and that is as it should be, really.

The door to the afterlife opens.

The Prat walks towards the light.

The peanut gallery yells and cries a lot.

Bakura kind of wants them to hurry the fuck up, because he has waited millennia for this and−

Wait.

There are people in the light – the Pharaoh’s people – the Prat’s welcoming committee, no doubt. Going through that door means sharing an afterlife with those people, does it not? That is, if he even makes it to that place, to _Aaru_ , in the first place. Because, considering all the bad deeds he has done over time, then _Maat_ would weigh his heart against her feather and then it would undeniably be eaten by that crocodile _Ammit_ and then− Yeah… no. Screw this.

Body or no body, he can probably hack it in this world. Now that Zorc’s gone and all.

“Hey Prat!”

Amongst the heartfelt goodbyes, his shout definitely stands out, drawing the attention of absolutely everyone.

“You should hurry up and go before they realise they’d rather remain free of your pretentious arse!”

“Bakura, you−”

Not like the gates would actually close before he entered though; that pretentious prat, always getting the special treatment.

That pretentious prat, staring at him in evident puzzlement. “Bakura−”

Bakura flips him the bird, because while he could have used far older gestures to get his point across, he knows this one will be understood by absolutely everyone in attendance. Except the welcoming committee, because fuck them, that’s why.

“Fuck off, you pretentious prat,” Bakura says, folding his arms across his chest. “Will you leave already or do I actually have to dropkick you into the afterlife?”

He taps his foot on the floor and grins maniacally at the scandalised looks sent his way. Ryō, his former host, is gaping like a fish.

But the pretentious prat of a pharaoh? He just smiles wistfully in return. “I guess you’re not coming then?”

Sneering, Bakura turns on his heel. “Sharing an afterlife with you and your people? Tch.”

* * *

The formerly nameless pharaoh leaves for the afterlife, and once the gates close, the chamber growing unstable.

Bakura quickly grabs his former host and drags him along as he hightails it for the exit. In an unusual display of self-preservation, the peanut gallery and other interested observers quickly vacate the chamber. Surprisingly, all of them have made it out by the time the space caved in, burying the ancient tablet and its cursed items in rubble.

It feels like a befitting ending to it all.

* * *

Of course, Bakura ought to have known that would not be the end of it.

All because of Kaiba Seto, that damned prat.

Well, because of other things too, but mainly because of Kaiba, yes.

Bakura had considered the guy annoying already back when he had been that damned priest. Little did he know then that the guy had the potential to become even more annoying.

“Okay.” Deep breath. “Let me get this straight… you sent an expedition to Kul Elna and fucking excavated the Shrine of the Underworld to retrieve the Millennium Puzzle, simply because you wanted a damned rematch?”

And that is really just the beginning of a whole new clusterfuck.

* * *


End file.
